I lead Firewise efforts for our community. Insurers require documentation of Firewise recognition for discounts, but lately the Firewise Certificate is often not enough. The incremental requests are inconsistent and vague. For instance, my own policy was placed in February and the California Fair Plan accepted the Certificate. Others have had their discount declined by the Fair Plan with no real guidance on what they will accept as documentation. We’ve provided neighborhood maps and lists of addresses, and that doesn’t seem to be acceptable. People are just throwing in the towel, and that’s not right! Any advice?
Stephanie Bontemps asked 5 months ago 1 Answers
Hi Stephanie,
This is frustrating for all involved. According to conversations with NFPA Firewise leads (in May 2025), they do not maintain a precise list of parcels within NFPA Firewise USA Communities, which makes it challenging for insurers to verify. The list of NFPA Firewise Communities is also updated periodically (e.g., twice per year), so it can take some time from when a community is recognized until it is reflected in the data layers used by insurers for verification. I would suggest contacting the NFPA Firewise program whether they’ll provide documentation of a particular property’s inclusion in a Firewise USA Community and/or the CA Department of Insurance to request guidance on what it considers sufficient documentation for an insured to provide to their insurer.
Best, Ivan
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